Community News: April 11

Published: Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

Pianist Christopher Tavernier, winner of the 10th Annual Appalachian Classical Music Association, placed as one of the top five winners in the second Asheville Symphony's Orchestra, Young Artist Competition that took place Saturday, March 23. He was the youngest performer to place.

Tavernier played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb minor, Op.23 (1st. Mvt.). He was accompanied by his teacher, Dr. John Cobb, playing piano two.

Tavernier is a sixth-grader at Hendersonville Middle School.

"I will be competing again next year and hope to be the first pianist to win this prestigious Young Artist Competition in their third annual event," he said.

The Asheville Symphony invited contestants from 24 ounties in Western North Carolina to compete in the ASO Young Artist Competition. The event was open to all students ages 9-18 (excluding college students) who play string, wind and percussion instruments as well as piano, classical guitar and harp.

Shown from left to right are Jennie Stevens, Bronze Eagle award winner Greg Barber and Craig Stevens, president and owner of Stevens Fine Homes.

By Corinne Glover, StarNews Media Advertorial Correspondent

Realtor Greg Barber, of Wilmington and formerly of Hendersonville, received the Bronze Eagle award for being Stevens Fine Homes #1 Top Producing agent in 2012.

In February, nearly 300 people gathered for the annual Realtor VIP Stevens Stars Awards Party at the Country Club in Landfall in Wilmington. Guests included representatives from various real estate, development and lending companies and the Stevens Stars themselves: 150-plus realtors who made sales for Stevens Fine Homes in 2012 and their guests.

Barber is a 1993 graduate of Hendersonville High and is the son of Dan and Nancy Barber of Hendersonville.

During the Fridays of Lent, it is a tradition to pray The Stations of the Cross. They are a spiritual devotion, dating from the early Middle Ages, that commemorate the sufferings of Christ from his condemnation by Pilate to his resurrection.

There are 15 stations that lead one from Pontius Pilate's Palace through the winding streets of Jerusalem, up the hill to Calvary, and ultimately to the tomb. The prayer consists of a virtual description of the scene at a particular station followed by a meditation and then a short antiphon repeated by the assembly.

Immaculata Catholic School's eighth-graders wrote their own descriptions and meditations. Instead of using pictures or plaques to remind us of these stations, the eighth-graders enacted them for the school and parish.

Carole Repici, Interfaith Assistance Ministry volunteer, presents David Cook, executive director at IAM, with a check for $210 from the Blue Ridge Readers Book Club. Club members donated the money to the IAM Children's Book Program. It will be used to purchase new books for children who come to IAM with their parents, who are seeking emergency help in a financial crisis. The program was started in 2011 with a grant from the Hendersonville Rotary Club. For information on how to contribute to this program, call Judie Sloan at 828-697-7029.

The Knights of Columbus in Hendersonville donated funds to Helping Hand Development Center, Exceptional Childrens Program of Henderson County, Vocational Solutions, St. Gerard House, Mountain Bowlers and the Special Olympics at a social at Immaculate Conception Church on Feb. 28.

Community Partnership for Pets Inc. has been awarded an additional $6,500 from Animal Farm Foundation to allow the organization to spay/neuter another 130 pit bull or pit bull mixes for families in/around Henderson County. In 2012, 10.1 percent of the animals coming into the Henderson County Animal Shelter were pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

As an all-volunteer, tax-exempt, non-profit organization, every dollar donated to CPPI or received through grants goes to pay for spay/neuter surgeries. Community Partnership for Pets thanks the Animal Farm Foundation for helping save the lives of this breed.

For more information about getting a pit bull or pit bull mix fixed or to make a donation, call 828-693-5172 or contact CPPI at cpforpetsinc@aol.com.

ExxonMobil Alliance awards $3K in grants to 6 county schools

The ExxonMobil Education Alliance Program awarded $3,000 in grants to six schools in the Henderson County Public School System. Clear Creek Elementary, Flat Rock Middle, East Henderson High, Hendersonville High, North Henderson High, and West Henderson High each received a $500 grant from ExxonMobil. Henderson Oil representatives Bill McKibbin, Connie Cunningham, Paul Jordan, and Barry Edwards presented the grants to the recipients during a presentation at the Henderson County Public Schools Administrative Offices on March 21. The grants will be used to help support and enhance programs with emphasis on Math and Science in the schools.

ExxonMobil Education Alliance grants are awarded on a first-come first-served basis. Connie Cunningham of Henderson Oil works with ExxonMobil to secure the Education Alliance Grants for schools throughout the company’s marketing area. This year ExxonMobil awarded four thousand $500 grants to schools throughout the country for a total of $2 million. Henderson Oil Company was awarded 15 of these grants for a total of $7500. The Henderson County Public Schools received the majority of the grants, with the remaining grants being presented to schools throughout Henderson Oil’s marketing area in the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee.

Over the past 11 years, including this year’s grants of $7500, Henderson Oil has been able to present education grants totaling approximately $100,000 with $53,000 of the grants being awarded to the Henderson County Schools.

This program is designed to provide Exxon and Mobil Retailers, as well as Distributors like Henderson Oil Company, with an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools. ExxonMobil believes that, as members of the community, local Retailers and Distributors are best qualified to work with local educators to help identify schools and programs most in need of support.

ExxonMobil is pleased to fund this very important program at a time when budgets for our schools do not always provide for some of the most critical needs.

Fund will help spay/neuter pit bulls, mixes

Community Partnership for Pets Inc. has been awarded an additional $6,500 from Animal Farm Foundation to allow the organization to spay/neuter another 130 pit bull or pit bull mixes for families in/ around Henderson County.

In 2012, 10.1 percent of the animals coming into the Henderson County Animal Shelter were pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

As an all-volunteer, taxexempt, non-profit organization, every dollar donated to CPPI or received through grants goes to pay for spay/ neuter surgeries. Community Partnership for Pets thanks the Animal Farm Foundation for helping save the lives of this breed.

For more information about getting a pit bull or pit bull mix fixed or to make a donation, call 828-693-5172 or contact CPPI at cpforpetsinc@ aol.com.

<p>Pianist Christopher Tavernier, winner of the 10th Annual Appalachian Classical Music Association, placed as one of the top five winners in the second Asheville Symphony's Orchestra, Young Artist Competition that took place Saturday, March 23. He was the youngest performer to place.</p><p>Tavernier played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb minor, Op.23 (1st. Mvt.). He was accompanied by his teacher, Dr. John Cobb, playing piano two. </p><p>Tavernier is a sixth-grader at Hendersonville Middle School. </p><p>"I will be competing again next year and hope to be the first pianist to win this prestigious Young Artist Competition in their third annual event," he said. </p><p>The Asheville Symphony invited contestants from 24 ounties in Western North Carolina to compete in the ASO Young Artist Competition. The event was open to all students ages 9-18 (excluding college students) who play string, wind and percussion instruments as well as piano, classical guitar and harp. </p><p>Shown from left to right are Jennie Stevens, Bronze Eagle award winner Greg Barber and Craig Stevens, president and owner of Stevens Fine Homes.</p><p>By Corinne Glover, StarNews Media Advertorial Correspondent </p><p>Realtor Greg Barber, of Wilmington and formerly of Hendersonville, received the Bronze Eagle award for being Stevens Fine Homes #1 Top Producing agent in 2012. </p><p>In February, nearly 300 people gathered for the annual Realtor VIP Stevens Stars Awards Party at the Country Club in Landfall in Wilmington. Guests included representatives from various real estate, development and lending companies and the Stevens Stars themselves: 150-plus realtors who made sales for Stevens Fine Homes in 2012 and their guests.</p><p>Barber is a 1993 graduate of Hendersonville High and is the son of Dan and Nancy Barber of Hendersonville. </p><p></p><p>During the Fridays of Lent, it is a tradition to pray The Stations of the Cross. They are a spiritual devotion, dating from the early Middle Ages, that commemorate the sufferings of Christ from his condemnation by Pilate to his resurrection.</p><p>There are 15 stations that lead one from Pontius Pilate's Palace through the winding streets of Jerusalem, up the hill to Calvary, and ultimately to the tomb. The prayer consists of a virtual description of the scene at a particular station followed by a meditation and then a short antiphon repeated by the assembly.</p><p>Immaculata Catholic School's eighth-graders wrote their own descriptions and meditations. Instead of using pictures or plaques to remind us of these stations, the eighth-graders enacted them for the school and parish.</p><p></p><p>Carole Repici, Interfaith Assistance Ministry volunteer, presents David Cook, executive director at IAM, with a check for $210 from the Blue Ridge Readers Book Club. Club members donated the money to the IAM Children's Book Program. It will be used to purchase new books for children who come to IAM with their parents, who are seeking emergency help in a financial crisis. The program was started in 2011 with a grant from the Hendersonville Rotary Club. For information on how to contribute to this program, call Judie Sloan at 828-697-7029. </p><p></p><p>The Knights of Columbus in Hendersonville donated funds to Helping Hand Development Center, Exceptional Childrens Program of Henderson County, Vocational Solutions, St. Gerard House, Mountain Bowlers and the Special Olympics at a social at Immaculate Conception Church on Feb. 28.</p><p>Community Partnership for Pets Inc. has been awarded an additional $6,500 from Animal Farm Foundation to allow the organization to spay/neuter another 130 pit bull or pit bull mixes for families in/around Henderson County. In 2012, 10.1 percent of the animals coming into the Henderson County Animal Shelter were pit bulls or pit bull mixes. </p><p>As an all-volunteer, tax-exempt, non-profit organization, every dollar donated to CPPI or received through grants goes to pay for spay/neuter surgeries. Community Partnership for Pets thanks the Animal Farm Foundation for helping save the lives of this breed. </p><p>For more information about getting a pit bull or pit bull mix fixed or to make a donation, call 828-693-5172 or contact CPPI at cpforpetsinc@aol.com. </p><p>ExxonMobil Alliance awards $3K in grants to 6 county schools</p><p>The ExxonMobil Education Alliance Program awarded $3,000 in grants to six schools in the Henderson County Public School System. Clear Creek Elementary, Flat Rock Middle, East Henderson High, Hendersonville High, North Henderson High, and West Henderson High each received a $500 grant from ExxonMobil. Henderson Oil representatives Bill McKibbin, Connie Cunningham, Paul Jordan, and Barry Edwards presented the grants to the recipients during a presentation at the Henderson County Public Schools Administrative Offices on March 21. The grants will be used to help support and enhance programs with emphasis on Math and Science in the schools.</p><p>ExxonMobil Education Alliance grants are awarded on a first-come first-served basis. Connie Cunningham of Henderson Oil works with ExxonMobil to secure the Education Alliance Grants for schools throughout the company's marketing area. This year ExxonMobil awarded four thousand $500 grants to schools throughout the country for a total of $2 million. Henderson Oil Company was awarded 15 of these grants for a total of $7500. The Henderson County Public Schools received the majority of the grants, with the remaining grants being presented to schools throughout Henderson Oil's marketing area in the Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee.</p><p>Over the past 11 years, including this year's grants of $7500, Henderson Oil has been able to present education grants totaling approximately $100,000 with $53,000 of the grants being awarded to the Henderson County Schools.</p><p>This program is designed to provide Exxon and Mobil Retailers, as well as Distributors like Henderson Oil Company, with an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools. ExxonMobil believes that, as members of the community, local Retailers and Distributors are best qualified to work with local educators to help identify schools and programs most in need of support.</p><p>ExxonMobil is pleased to fund this very important program at a time when budgets for our schools do not always provide for some of the most critical needs.</p><p>Fund will help spay/neuter pit bulls, mixes</p><p>Community Partnership for Pets Inc. has been awarded an additional $6,500 from Animal Farm Foundation to allow the organization to spay/neuter another 130 pit bull or pit bull mixes for families in/ around Henderson County.</p><p>In 2012, 10.1 percent of the animals coming into the Henderson County Animal Shelter were pit bulls or pit bull mixes.</p><p>As an all-volunteer, taxexempt, non-profit organization, every dollar donated to CPPI or received through grants goes to pay for spay/ neuter surgeries. Community Partnership for Pets thanks the Animal Farm Foundation for helping save the lives of this breed.</p><p>For more information about getting a pit bull or pit bull mix fixed or to make a donation, call 828-693-5172 or contact CPPI at cpforpetsinc@ aol.com.</p>